The United States is clearly trying to leverage the island to its advantage against Beijing. But the matter is so sensitive that it could trigger a confrontation. It has already eroded trust and reduced the space for effective crisis management.

The TAIPEI Act, passed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by Donald Trump, will not benefit the island. Taiwan is being used as a pawn by the U.S. to gain leverage against Beijing.

The U.S. and Taiwan have engineered a number of in-cremental breakthroughs and are using the coronavirus epidemic to create another. These moves damage Chi-nese sovereignty and violate international law. It’s un-likely to end well.

History shows that when necessary, Washington will sacrifice Taiwan’s interests in order to achieve US foreign policy goals. Today, Taiwan might find itself as collateral damage in the US-China trade war.

The candidates for Taiwan’s upcoming election represent two distinct competing ideologies concerning Taiwan’s autonomy under mainland China. The outcome of the election could change the course of history for China-U.S.-Taiwan relations.

The Solomon Islands recently broke diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favor of switching relations to China. This is only the most recent loss to Taiwan’s diplomatic community, as countries increasingly see the economic and strategic benefit of siding with China. Such shifts in the geopolitics of the Pacific region arouse great concern on the part of the United States, which fears the economic and military expansion of China. Given China’s extensive shipping and trade network in the region however, China’s interest in bolstering its defense capabilities should come as no surprise.

The announcement of the ban on solo mainland China tourists visiting Taiwan is a major escalation in cross-Strait relations. How has the mainland’s Taiwan policy changed, what was the reason for the suspension of visits, and what is the goal of such a strategic move?

The widespread protests in Hong Kong, which led to the defeat of a perceived pro-Beijing extradition bill, has only emboldened the pro-independence movement in Taiwan. With all sides hardening their respective positions, Taiwan is quickly turning into the front-line of Sino-American Cold War in the Indo-Pacific.